Ongoing Projects
The current proliferation of illicit firearms in EU Member States and the EU neighbourhood increases the risk of their use in terrorist attacks, organised crime, and other acts of violence in public spaces. Yet, despite sustained efforts toward improving the intelligence picture in Europe, it remains patchy with the lack of systematic and harmonised seizure data collection being a key constraint for information exchange. Project VISTA seeks to supports the EU 2020–2025 Action Plan on Firearms Trafficking by improving the overall intelligence picture, improving law enforcement capabilities, and fostering international cooperation to combat illicit firearms proliferation.
Among others, project VISTA seeks to enhance knowledge on firearms violence in public spaces in order to
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increase the understanding of the threat of firearms violence and its impact on society,
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provide an in-depth analysis of firearms violence in public spaces in the context of public mass shootings, drug-related firearms violence, and terrorist violence, and
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analyse and compare the scope, characteristics, and dynamics of all contexts of firearms violence in public spaces in Europe.
To this end, ICCT in cooperation with the Flemish Peace Institute will draft a report analysing terrorist firearms violence in selected European countries. This report will build on various sources, notably the Gun Violence Incident Monitor, case-law, seizure data, and grey literature to analyse the illicit acquisition, possession, and use of firearms by terrorists of different ideological backgrounds in Europe. The report containing the results of this research will be publicly available.
About the project
Extra body
Project VISTA aims to support the Commission in fulfilling the objectives of the 2020-2025 EU Action Plan on Firearms Trafficking by improving the overall intelligence picture at the EU level related to incidents involving firearms, including gun incidents and seizures of firearms. VISTA will contribute to enhancing the capabilities of law enforcement agencies to pressure criminal markets through technological developments and toolkits and assist the improvement of international cooperation between EU Member States and non-EU member states in efforts to reduce the proliferation of illicit firearms in the EU.
VISTA will carry out various activities to contribute to the implementation of the EU Action Plan on Firearms Trafficking, and in particular to building a better intelligence picture:
- Upgrading, testing, and expanding a real-time tool for firearms-related incidents and seizures across the EU and non-EU countries;
- Promoting the harmonisation of firearms seizure data and interconnections at the EU level;
- Supporting EUMS in creating or updating their national IT systems to store and exchange data on seized firearms through research products;
- Conducting research studies on various aspects of gun violence, firearms seizures, and trafficking across the EU.
Partners
